Maryland Green Building Network
July 6, 1999 - Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the joint meeting of American Institute of Architects’ Baltimore Committee on the Environment (COTE) and Maryland Green Building Network

Location: offices of AIA Baltimore

Attending: Lance Davis, CUH2A; Melanie Hartwig-Davis; Janie Nall, OCSB; Jeff Sties, Lucas Assoc.; Julie Gabrielli, AIA; Stephen Gilliss, MD DGS; Mark Bundy, MD DNR; Polly Houck, Dupont Flooring Systems; Catherine Rappe, MD DNR; John Lippert, Eco-Living, Inc; Jack Tawil, MD DNR; Drew George, Bovis Construction; Barbara Sweeney, S.C. Burdette

I. AIA Baltimore Committee on the Environment (COTE) business:

September Continuing Studies program, "Green Design as a Team Process," will be a presentation by people from KCF/SHG on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s new headquarters. Polly Houck will see about Dupont acting as sponsor. Program will be on Tuesday, September 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

II. D.C. COTE business:

(Lance Davis liaison) Working on two major projects: first is the D.C. Sustainable Cities Forum, tentatively scheduled for October. The other is a local green resource guide. Will use EPA’s definition of "Region 3" for the geographical boundaries; this covers PA, WV, MD, DC, and VA. Looking for sponsorship of a print version, to be distributed at the Forum. Will also post on a web page, with ads. Intent is for it to be broad-based, including design and construction community. To gather info, they’re sending questionnaires to certain agencies and firms, such as Arlington County, which is using the LEED green building rating system for some of their projects. QUESTION: how to plug the Baltimore area into this effort? RELATED: Drew George mentioned that RMI is updating their green development CD-ROM, so if we know of any Maryland projects we should let them know.

III. State DNR business:

(Mark Bundy reporting) Working with other state agencies as they draft benchmarks for Smart Growth to send to the Governor. State DGS interested in putting language about green building into their RFP’s. It will be a long process to figure out the process and how to evaluate proposals, but it’s a good start. Comment: this should include leased buildings, for example using EPA’s specs writted for an office building they occupied in PA.

IV. New people:

Janie Nall founded the Outreach Center for Sustainable Building (OCSB) to educate about green building, smart growth, etc. Based in Upper Marlboro.

John Lippert is an energy-awareness trainer for naval personnel, active with solar energy groups such as SEIA and Potomac Region Solar Energy Assoc. They recently held an "energy from the sun" fair in Germantown, which included seminars and info on green building. Mentioned possibility of organizing something similar to Denver’s "parade of homes" for green projects. There is a solar homes tour on the internet, sponsored by ASES.

V. Current and future projects / activities that DNR is involved in:

  1. The CDC in Patterson Park, which rehabs 40 to 50 rowhouses a year, wants to "green" their projects, using no additional time and money. They need a template to show them how and guide their decisions. Could be a major demonstration project: a prototype 2-storey rowhouse rehab for $20K or $30K. Group discussed the many existing GreenBuilder programs, such as in Austin and Boulder, and the LEED rating system, as possible models for such criteria. Process could be a one-day charrette with invited participants.
  2. Survey -- DNR will draft something to use at the State Fair, which starts August 27th and runs for 11 days. Can also use at the Home & Garden Show.
  3. State Fair programs -- every day, DNR has a 15-minute time slot for presentations on green building. Need to fill these.
  4. Website -- will be up by mid-August. Can also put the survey here, as well as links to other sites, a calendar of events, related organizations, articles on green building, guest editorials, and a regular monthly article from AIA Baltimore.
  5. Outreach needed: discussed the need to reach out to engineers, builders, developers, owners, and regulators, to get them involved with green building. Polly Houck mentioned corporate facilities groups such as IIDA, BOMA, and IFMA that are big and active in this area. She will look into her contacts with these groups. Mark mentioned that DNR has contact with some builders and developers, such as SMBIA which has a green building program defined on paper. The Eco-Village of Loudon County (with John Spears) has developed prototype training courses for builders and developers. They’re ready to test it in some form, they just need someone to require such training. John Lippert said that ten years ago, NDC gave courses to realtors in energy efficiency.

VII. Focus for now:

  1. Resource library -- what should be in it
  2. Survey at State Fair, Home / Garden Show, on web -- email suggestions for questions to Chuck Kines. DNR will have draft at next meeting
  3. Directory w/ D.C. COTE (email ideas, questions to Lance Davis)
  4. State Fair programs -- 15 minute time slots. Also: could schedule architects to staff DNR’s booth (a demo of green building) at a given time each day, such as 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
  5. Rowhouse rehab "template" for green building (Jeff Sties will outline some guidelines)

Environmental Design Home
DNR Home

This page last updated March 24, 2003